French Shaving Soap Compendium.

As I've mentioned before I'm a big fan of French Shaving Soaps, and thought it would be a good idea to have a listing of all the French shaving soaps our members have experience with. Also, I'm hoping that it will lead to me discovering more products that I have yet to try.
As an aside, I included Lepo brand soap in a previous listing of French Shaving Soaps that I posted. I ordered it from a French e-tailer, with other French Shaving Soaps. It worked well and I never really bothered to look at the packaging, this morning I did, and it turns out the box says Sapone da Barba, not Savon a Barbe, meaning this is actually an Italian soap. Still, nobody noticed this error, so nuts.
Anyway on to the list:
Altesse
Arganbio Savon Noir de Rasage
Centifolia
Creed ( Green Irish Tweed, Santal and Vetyver fragrances)
Durance L'Ome
e-shave (Avocado Oil & Linden, Lavender and Mandarin varieties, produced in Provence)
Institut Karite
Joris (French brand, but it's made in England)
Khan Al Saboun Pate du Rasage Romarin
La Cigale Savon Barbe
La Grange Aux Herbes
Le Pere Pelletier (Amande Douce, Argile Vert et Verveine, Huile d'Olive and Karite varieties)
Le Savon du Barbier by Le Comptoir du Pharmacien
L'Occitane Cade
L'Othantique (Fig et Melanie, Le Collectionneur pour L'Homme and Pere et Fils varieties)
Maison du Barbier (same company as Joris and Plisson)
Martin de Candre
Monsavon
Olivier Soaps (French-Canadian)
Osma
Plisson (made in England)
Pre de Provence
Provence Sante
Roger and Gallet Pour L'Homme
Savon du Midi (Sandalwood and Vetiver)
Tade Savon a rasage
Thiers Issard (Almond, Bay Rum, Sandalwood and Unscented)

Artisanal French Soaps:
Les Simples Savon Surgras de Rasage a l'Huile de Carotte
Melisane.fr offering Savon du Barbier Vetyver
Naturelle-Attitude
Olarome
Wild and Wise



I'll try to update the thread with links to reviews as and when I get the time. If you're looking for a more in-depth thread on French Shaving Soaps there was an excellent thread authored by Guenron entitled French Shaving Soaps Vive la Dfference (it was a Sticky at one time but I don't think it is anymore,) that you might try looking for.
I'd also be interested in hearing about other varieties I may have missed or those that I have not yet heard of.

While I enjoy English shaving soaps as well, my French soaps are definitely in my top favorites. I have Pre de Provence and Provence Sante and they always give me a great shaving experience.

Great work on the list!

Tim

Nice work Alex, I added this thread to the soap sticky.

Super helpful!

Thanks Alex

Great list! Thank you.

Here's the link for Ron's (guenron) thread:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=258

Jim said:

Nice work Alex, I added this thread to the soap sticky.

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Thank you Jim. Alex, fabulous. Which are your top 3 favorites??

I have in my rotation:

L'Ome de Provence

Thankyou for your kind words everyone.

Darjeeling Express said:

Thank you Jim. Alex, fabulous. Which are your top 3 favorites??

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That's a rather difficult question as I rate all of the ones that I have tried as good to excellent.
My least favourite is the Osma. Not because it's bad, but because it doesn't offer the same quality of cushion and lubrication as the others. Also the lather, containing mineral salts as it does, is rather corrosive to straight razors. That being said, I have found it almost impossible to get razor burn with this soap, it might be worth considering for those with very sensitive skin.
Of those on the list I have yet to try: Khan Al Saboun, La Cigale, La Grange aux Herbes, Maison du Barbier, Savon du Midi (although these should be arriving shortly) and Olarome.
My top three favourites: Tade, Martin de Candre and Joris.

Jim said:

Nice work Alex, I added this thread to the soap sticky.

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Wow, my first contribution to a sticky. I feel a Gwyneth Paltrow moment coming on here, there are just so many people to thank.

Thanks here also. I have only tried two of them and had a bad reaction to one, but love the Pre de Provence.

AJS said:

Of those on the list I have yet to try: Khan Al Saboun, La Cigale, La Grange aux Herbes, Maison du Barbier, Savon du Midi (although these should be arriving shortly) and Olarome.
My top three favourites: Tade, Martin de Candre and Joris.

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I believe Maison du Barbier = Plisson = Joris.

murchmb said:

I believe Maison du Barbier = Plisson = Joris.

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Do you mean as in manufactured by the same outfit? I've never tried the Plisson shaving soap but it's been remarked enough times by those that have tried it and the Joris that the Joris is superior and they are definitely not the same soap. I cannot say for sure but such comments have done the opposite than to motivate me to try the Plisson soap.

Chris

is lothantique french?

wonderful work Alex. I only have the L'Occitane soap and Cream. If only the cream was as enrapturing as it's scent. Is there a French Soap that smells similar to L'Occitane Cream? Looking forward to your stella contribution. Kind and welcome regards

Regarding the Joris/ Maison du Barbier/ Plisson conundrum I believe that all three are licensed by the same company Vikum Diffusion. When they first launched the MdB was reportedly meant to replace the Plisson cream and soap, however these remain readily available so I'm not quite sure how the MdB products fit in with the others.
I can say that Plisson and Joris shave soaps are certainly different, the Joris being the superior of the two.
As to the question of Lothantiques origins, they are presently based in Canada, but trace their origins back to France. One of the current owners being the grandchild of the founders.
Bushranger, I'm sorry but there's nothing that comes readily to mind as having the same scent as the L'Occitane cream. If you are having trouble with the cream I've found French shaving creams in general to be rather finnicky, the best solution I've found is to use about three times as much cream as you would normally, with but a fraction of the water. French creams do not seem to like water one little bit. They don't lather up as richly as traditional English creams, they seem formulated to provide slip instead of cushion. Hope this helps.

Another soap compendium? Who would have thought? Great compilation. Nicely done.

Nice way to feed the SSAD.

johnniegold said:

Nice way to feed the SSAD.

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SSAD isn't a disease, it's a lifestyle choice

AJS said:

SSAD isn't a disease, it's a lifestyle choice

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I think you're on to something here.

Great job. I had no idea there were so many French soaps. I have tried Pre de Provence, Provence Sante, and Institute Karite and all three are excellent. I see I have quite a few more to sample.

eric.

AJS said:

Bushranger, I'm sorry but there's nothing that comes readily to mind as having the same scent as the L'Occitane cream. If you are having trouble with the cream I've found French shaving creams in general to be rather finnicky, the best solution I've found is to use about three times as much cream as you would normally, with but a fraction of the water. French creams do not seem to like water one little bit. They don't lather up as richly as traditional English creams, they seem formulated to provide slip instead of cushion. Hope this helps.

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Thanks Alex. That is what I found with the L'Occitane Cade cream. I put in my review in the shaving cream forum. One wonders what a 'superlather' with the cade cream and cade soap would be like. Pity I used all the cream. If only I thought of that before!